August 03, (THEWILL) – Erik ten Hag, Manchester United manager, has called Cristiano Ronaldo’s decision to leave Old Trafford early during the 1-1 friendly against Rayo Vallecano “unacceptable.”
Ronaldo, who led the Red Devils in scoring last season with 24 goals, started the match against the La Liga team on Sunday. However, he was replaced by 20-year-old Amad Diallo at halftime and the Portugal international was then seen exiting the stadium midway through the second half.
The premature exit did not appear to impress Ten Hag, who remarked: “It is unacceptable for everyone. I am telling them it’s unacceptable. We are a team. A squad. Until the end we stay together.”
The ex-Real Madrid player continues to hold on to his decision to depart because he wants to play UEFA Champions League football, something the Red Devils are unable to provide because they only placed sixth in the Premier League last season. However, major European teams have backed away from signing Ronaldo, with teams like Chelsea and Bayern Munich expressly stating their non-interest.
The early departure of the 37-year-old from Old Trafford only added fuel to the fire before United’s Premier League opener against Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday as he missed United’s entire preseason.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
